However, vox pops can be a comedy goldmine, especially in the weirdest city in the world. ![]() ![]() It’s a complicated business, and sometimes, it’s far from enjoyable for both parties involved: the reporter is often shooed away or cursed at by people they approach, and the interviewee’s day is interrupted for a quick sound bite, often about an issue they likely don’t care about. Also known as a vox pop, these interviews usually consist of a reporter with a microphone and a cameraperson approaching random people on the street to get their opinions on certain topics. And finally, New York’s most obsessive collectors - the guys behind spots like Procell and Fantasy Explosion - share their favorite, most exceedingly rare finds from establishments past and present.The man-on-the-street interview is not a new concept. Then we have “DI(N)Y,” meaning the bootlegs, one-offs, and various other non-sanctioned objets d’art made by small brands and individual creatives. Swag from the “New Guard,” which includes shirts from natural-wine bars and community nonprofits, plus some Dimes lip balm. Really, it’s just a slice of what’s out there - please, show us more on social media and in the comments - but we’ve attempted to organize it all into a museum of sorts, divided into four different categories: the “Old Faithfuls” - stuff from beloved spots that have been around forever. Here, we’ve culled an utterly fractional sampling of some of the most-worn (and most-coveted) New York merch. ![]() A distinctly anti-fashion impulse became more accessible, and by extension, a trendier phenomenon: We’re calling it Zizmorecore, which you can read more about in this week’s cover story - and peruse some examples of, below. Nonprofits like Merch4Relief and Neighborhood Spot popped up to pair designers with establishments that didn’t already have merch, and unofficial mascots like New York Nico hosted a contest for the “ Best New York T-shirt,” resulting in more (better) merch than ever before. When the pandemic hit the city, though, and New Yorkers were no longer able to frequent their favorite spots in person, buying merch from a safe distance - so, mostly online - became one way to support local business, to feel connected to a place beyond one’s own apartment, and to show some hometown pride when the city was down. (I was told to ask for a guy named John.) By wearing an L&B Spumoni Gardens T-shirt, for example, you are not only saying “I enjoy a Sicilian square pie,” but also that you’ve made the trip to Gravesend enough times to know that you have to go up to the counter and ask for one yourself. It’s a souvenir collector’s equivalent of finding buried treasure, only the wearer is rich in insider-ness. The surprise of learning that your favorite slice joint or specialty supermarket or bathhouse sells a T-shirt when they have no business doing so (literally), is what makes it so covetable, as opposed to the actual quality of the T-shirt itself. Photo-Illustration: Photographs by DeSean McClinton-HollandĪs any true connoisseur of New York merch knows, the best stuff is often found in the back, so to speak.
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